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Show The Park Record C-8 Wed/Thurs/Fri, December 8-10, 2004 Which food toys test best for holidays? 4M5.7700 By KRISTEN BROWNING-BLAS Mt'diiiNt'irs Croup Wire Ask kids wtuil niitkus a good siicick. and they're likely to say "ondy." Ask what miikes a good food loy. .ind llic answer will prohably he Ihe same. This season's crop shares one imt-so-secrel ingredicni: suuiir. One exception lo the sugar011-lop playihiniis is Disney, which has teamed with Back to Basics, a manufacturer of smoothie makers, popcorn poppers and toasters, lo create appliances that appeal lo kids and parents. The Mouse now conies shaped like a hleiuier thai actually works. The toaster and waffle milker lhat imprint Mickey's head on your hreiikfast are perennial best sellers, says the design genius behind Disney's electronics and appliances, Chris Heatherly. "In the same way our 'imagineers' dream up fabulous experiences in our theme parks, there's a philosophical difference between us and other companies that make products for kids," he says. "Kids are the hardest consumers to please. They're more critical and honest.' 1 The food industry spent $13 billion in 2003 marketing to kids. whose spending on food has doubled every decade since 1970. "The pasl few years have seen ihe beginning of what may be a fuiukimenlal shift in the kinds of products the food industry develops for young consumers and the way it markets these products," says a recent report by consumer research firm Mintel, which estimates that 4- lo 12-year olds and their parents will spend $51.S billion on food by 200N. With an eye toward trends in obesity and possible new regulations on advertising, says Minlel. some producers have turned lo belter product design and nutrition as sales tools, while others pursue the "sugar sells" approach. Rather than ask toy makurs, retailers or even parents what makes a good toy. we went straight to those critical endusers Disney knows so well. It was the kind of jury duty kids dream of: "Can you help my mom judge some toys?" A panel of astute sludcnls happily slaved id 1SOO 1-1T. li-s 3"/ Colon Cancer. Get: the test* Get "th^ polyp Get tine cure* 'y. " Colon cancer almost; always s t a r t s with a polyp. Get the polyp early and stop colon cancer be,fpre It even s t a r t s . v ;-• ?^3>T: 1-8OO-ACS-2'3^5 or caneer.org T' American Cancer Society* men after school to test nine of this year's culinary possibilities. Forget the Easy-Bake Oven. Since it was redesigned to look like a microwave, it quickly winds up in the garage sale. We shopped at Target and Wal-Mart for toys that would appeal to grade-school-age kids. We placed the toys still in their boxes along with the "not included" supplies like sugar. fruit, chocolate chips and ice in a makeshift "testing lab" and lei the kids figure out the rest, They .wrote their comments about each item and then chose a favorite. The setting; Shcpardson Elementary. Fort Collins. The jury: Sadia Aziz, Eddie IJanda, Vianey Ban da. Aide Cruz. Anna Isernia. Kellen Pond, Antonio Rodriguez. Anthony Varner, Chris VanSkike and my own kids, Miranda and Nicky Bias. The grown-ups: Denver Post Food editor Krislen BrowningBias and teachers Gayle Eberhardt and Rick Bias (my husband). The verdict: Hung jury. Sugar is good, but grown-ups (and some kids) prefer-fruit or popcorn. Adult opinion: Fun but requires supervision. Kids are tempted lo put their fingers into the heating element when il gels clogged, which was every time we tried it. Makes a langeriuesized wad of cotton candy. says Eddie. Kid c o m m e n t s : " A w e s o m e . " " F u n l o s e e e x p l o d e . Does not taste l o o g o o d . " "I don't know what t o think (about the flavor). It's s o disgusting. I don't think they should have put il on t h e shelf. It's just w r o n g . " " I t ' s Disney Smoothie Maker, $40, yummy and cool." Target Ad nil o p i n i o n : E n t e r t a i n i n g Favorite of Miranda Bias, 11. and easy for kids to d o on iheir "This makes great smoothies. own. but once the candy spews You jusl pour the stuff in. and out the lop. (he s h o w s over. T h e you can make all kinds of candy " l a v a " never h a r d e n e d favors." and tasted like sour plastic. Kid comments: "I think the smoothie was really good. It Disney Popcorn Popper, $40, almost tasted like yogurt." "It's Target so much fun but il (leaks) a lot." Favorite of Nicky Bias. 9. "It's Adult opinion: 'I'll is well- really yummy and cool how it has designed appliance might actual- Mickey's feel." ly replace the blender. It's easier Kid comments: "Can we make to use and the spigot makes it more'.'" easy for kids lo serve. Plus, it Adull opinion: We liked how encourages them lo eat more easy it was lo put together and fruit. the cute design. More healthful and better-tasting than Hershey's S'mores Maker, $18, microwave corn. O n e design flaw: 'llic butter dish topper does Wal-Mart Favorite of Anna Isernia. I I . not seal properly. "Holy hallelujah! I love gooey things which arc sweet and sug- Llfesaver Gnnunles Flavor ar fuI," says Anna. "It's safer than Factory, $15, Wal-Mart an actual campfire, and there's Favorite of Vianey Banda. 11. no smoke. But the chocolate who liked the bubble gum flavor. doesn't melt." Kid comments: None Kid comments: "Cool. Takes a Adult opinion: One of the Henhey's Kisses Maker, $15, while." "A lot safer for younger better-lasting products bill doeskids." "MAN this is good." "I n't hold kids' attention more Wal-Mart lhan once or twice. Chocolate chips melt in a bat- mean, it's a lightbulb! Lame." lery-operaled chamber. A Adult opinion: Cute gimmick. plunger pushes the melted but warming a marshmallow on a SpongeBob SqnarePants Snochocolate into kiss-shaped plastic slick over a 60-wall light- Cone Maker, $10, Target molds. bulb is a sad substitute for a real Hand-cranked ice-shaver in Favorite of Sadia Aziz, II. "I campfire. Just ask your parents the shape of everyone's favorite think it's pretty cool (hat it melts lo take you camping. sponge. Feed regular ice cubes things," says Sadia. through the lop oi his head, and Kid comments: Directions are National Geographic Candy shaved ice comes out of his mouth. complex and hard lo follow. Chemistry Lab, $13, Target Adult opinion: Uses eight AA Nobody chose this as a Favorite of Anthony Varner. batteries. very complicated favorite. 1 1. and Kellen Pond. S).'"It's easy instructions, requires a small Kid comments: II look loo to make, but it was really hard lo Phillips head screwdriver to dis- long to make bubble gum. figure out how lo assemble. I mantle just to wash it. Jusl buy a Adult opinion: liiis kit seems didn't really like the flavoring. bag of kisses instead _ less frus- like il was designed lo appear but I like his cartoons." Anthony trating and cheaper. educational; bill the directions said. were printed in an extremely Kellen (nought Jhe flavoring hard-to-read format, and many syrup tasted good, but il was Rose Art The Real Cotton Candy of ihe projects required extra hard to turn. He chose iliis as his equipment and ingredients, and favorite because. "It looked like Machine. $15. Wal-Mart Favorite of Antonio the use of the stove or he was barfing and was fun to make." Rodriguez, 8. He chose this toy microwave, or both. because he gels to eat cotton Adult opinion: Some icecandy only at carnivals. "It was National Geographic Candy shavers require special ice hard to work." he says, and a Volcano, $15, Target shapes, but kids can use regular grownup had to help. But F a v o r i t e of A i d e C r u z , 8: ice cubes, so there's no wailing. Antonio says the resulting small Chris VanSkike. I I : and Eddie Would probably entertain them blob of spun sugar was worth it. for an afternoon and would be a B a n d a . L>. "1 liked when il fun addition lo the summer exploded, but it lasted like gross Kid comments: "'Hie cotton stuff," says A i d e . "Jl's b u e n o . " lemonade stand. candy did not really work." •••V'"*/'-''^^'.•".-•/•> /••'- run >&. m «-i fe £-:&&rvv ••;•'•• *?yr;£ ^ •V'V, • w>- E TASTING SCHEDULE !>*• • ^ • *3 ; J ^"-1.-- 15 - SPARKLING DECEMI i- •', 1 v - ' '. i- - ' • r , u 1,•!'•-. y »v^ /y^^^t- ft 0UVEAU B E • ..7 • • * ,r«sr - - WINE F - SPECIALLY S 3 r & TASTE S\ hv \LTPRTCE RANGES •a**^5 - X" V-^^*S"i •J-H4E*! saabi. 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